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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30099171">The Drinking Calendar and the Painters of the City</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sociohat/pseuds/sociohat'>sociohat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Library of Ruina (Video Game), Lobotomy Corporation (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gatekeep, Gen, NFTs (Netzach's Fascinating Thoughts), gaslight, girlboss, they talk about art</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:22:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30099171</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sociohat/pseuds/sociohat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Netzach and Roland's happy hour is interrupted by a visit from the Patron Librarian of Philosophy, Binah.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Drinking Calendar and the Painters of the City</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first fanfic pls be nice</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Library, for the most part, did not ask much from its patron librarians besides the clench-teethed loyalty they offered to the Director, and the (manufactured) threat of death that they faced during their violent receptions. When it came to their schedules and how many hours they would devote to their research, Angela was almost absurdy lax in her management. She pretty much left it to the patron librarians how much work they wanted to do and how they would divide the labor among the assistant librarians—quite a departure in policy compared to her time in Lobotomy Corporation, where a script was followed down to the letter.</p><p>That isn't to say she was <em>completely</em> hands off. On the contrary, this style of management required her to be quite hawkish during down times in the Library's activity—which is to say, every second there wasn't a guest to be greeted and dealt with. There is a science to the management of the Library that only she, an artificial intelligence with the capacity to sort through the infinite and growing sprawl of books, had a firm grasp on. This monopolized expertise made her insistent on her own method and system of sorting the books, and she would personally assist the librarians if they ever made a mistake — to the annoyance of most of them.</p><p>Mistakes were indeed made, and made often. Netzach took notice of this, and began to see patterns in how often and when these mistakes happened; who was the most likely to mess up and distract Angela and on which floor. Emphasis on 'when': he would eventually use this data to know the exact times when Angela would be too busy to deal with him. Thus the Netzach Drinking Calendar was born: a schedule of Angela-free hours where he could drink to his heart's content.</p><p>"I gotta say, Netzach, you're probably the smartest guy *hic* in this whole damn Library."</p><p>"Heh... I wouldn't go that far."</p><p>"No, no, really! The Netzach Drinking Calendar is... you discovered a whole dang Singularity right there. We should leave this place and start our own damn Wing. I'll front the cash... somehow."</p><p>Roland was the first of the patron librarians to have heard of the Netzach Drinking Calendar. The revelation bordered on telepathic. The moment Netzach thought of the innovative new drinking system, there was a tingling in Roland's liver that signaled the end of Angela and Tiphereth's imposed prohibition. He and Netzach simply locked eyes and understood that they had broken free from their chains, ready to destroy their livers in boozy merrymaking. </p><p>"Starting a Wing, huh...? I don't oppose the idea, but it seems like a lot of work. Just speaking from experience here... What would we even call it?"</p><p>"Netzach Corporation, obviously. N Corp. Or maybe Netzach Breweries~"</p><p>"Breweries... I don't know the first thing about making beer."</p><p>"Shit, is that all you're worried about?" Roland took another swig of beer, letting out a satisfied sigh. "I don't even know where the hell this can I'm drinking came from! We'll just steal a book on hops or something and we'll be swimming in alcohol. The Nest's going to be a whole vat of the stuff. It'll be great, you'll see~"</p><p>"Haha, you convinced me... How about another round to celebrate?"</p><p>Roland sniffed, holding back tears of joy at his entrepreneurial epiphany. "You know me so well, man."</p><p>"Cheers!"</p><p>"Cheers!"</p><p>"Cheers."</p><p>Right as they were about to clink their glasses, a third voice appeared, seemingly from the aether.</p><p>"The idea is certainly unique. With enough dedication and sacrifice, a Wing will no doubt spring forth from the backs of those you discarded. Obsession was how Lobotomy Corporation came to be, was it not?" </p><p>Binah, The Patron Librarian of Philosophy, entered the room as if it was only natural for her to do so. She had never visited the Floor of Art before, not even once, yet she chose now of all times to finally grace it with her overbearing presence. Even Roland, hammered as he was, couldn't help but sober up in record time.</p><p>"Though I can't help but wonder if it is the alcohol that's giving you your enthusiasm, or enkephalin."</p><p>"Uh oh," Netzach said, still quite red from the beer. "Miss Binah's here."</p><p>"Greetings, Netzach. I don't believe we have had the pleasure to chat before."</p><p><em>I was doing my best to avoid you...</em> Netzach said under his breath.</p><p>All Roland could muster was an exasperated sigh. He had only talked to Binah a few times, yet in those few conversations he had become awfully familiar with the way she would weave her words: as if to twist a knife deep into a wound, precisely and with amusement. "Sorry, miss, but we don't have any tea for you."</p><p>"That won't be a problem. I have brought black tea mixed with brandy and spices, to celebrate the start of Netzach's Drinking Calendar in my own way."</p><p>"Geeze, how much did you hear? Well, whatever..." Netzach resigned himself to the idea of becoming drinking buddies with Binah. The Netzach Drinking Calendar was a communal thing, he thought to himself. "Doesn't change the fact that you're here, now."</p><p>"Well?" Roland asked. "I don't think you came here just for a drink. If anything, you'd invite us to your floor."</p><p>"I was due to a change of pace, and our Director seemed to be busy at the moment. I simply followed her servant along and let fate decide what it would make of my day."</p><p>"So you're bored," Roland said, bluntly.</p><p>"I won't deny it."</p><p>"Still..." Netzach picked himself up and brushed the pile of discarded beer cans away from his seat. "I don't think I'm the best conversation partner for you, Ms. Binah."</p><p>"Is that so? I believe that philosophy and art are intertwined more deeply than you think."</p><p>"That's as maybe..." Netzach muttered again. <em>It wasn't our fields of work that I was worried about.</em></p><p>"Art is a reflection of the City and the reality of those who live within it. The same could be said of philosophy; only the subject-matter differs. Even then, the line is blurred. The difference is not in the shrubs, but in the tea leaves."</p><p>"Hm." Roland started pressing on the sides of his beer can, which made a pop. "Sounds like something Chesed would say but... tea-based."</p><p>"I would have liked to have talked with the Patron of Social Sciences, but he seems to be avoiding me."</p><p>"Considering his history with you, I don't blame him..."</p><p>"Dear Netzach here is a more than adequate replacement."</p><p>"Oh joy."</p>
<hr/><p>The Floor of Art was a place bustling with work, despite its patron. The nature of their work meant that research was more freeform and required less supervision from Angela, but they did do their best to avoid making a mistake that would get them an Angela inspection. The assistant librarians were, at their core, the same as their patron, and liked to avoid hassle as much as possible.</p><p>All activity in the floor halted the moment Binah came in, filling the halls with a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.</p><p>Binah's presence gave the Floor of Art a serenity that it wouldn't have had otherwise, so much so that it overflowed and made Netzach and Roland become conscious of their manners. The sight of grown men sipping their booze instead of gulping it down amused her, especially the way they held their beer cans like a young child would hold a teacup. "Netzach, have you picked up painting recently?"</p><p>"...I haven't? What gave you that idea?"</p><p>"So that piece over there isn't yours, then?" Binah glanced at the painting on an easel just behind where Roland was sitting. It was clearly a work in progress.</p><p>"Oh, that... it's part of a project one of the assistant librarians came up with. We use the knowledge we gain on this floor to recreate the art we find in the books. Within reason. We're not trying to copy the Pianist here. It's less creation and more... restoration."</p><p>"I see. A noble endeavor. Though, perhaps fruitless."</p><p>"I can't deny that it's kind of pointless. No matter what will happen after all this, the Library will be gone together with the art we restored. The Library's light is a fickle thing."</p><p>"Yet you persevere in your efforts."</p><p>"It's not as if I completely understand what it was that Carmen wanted to achieve, and Angela wouldn't just go with it, but I'm betting on our work affecting the Light in a small way.</p><p>"The assistant librarian specifically chose works by people who wanted to change the City. Not all of them are hopeful. Most of them, you could feel the desperateness of the artist. Those strong emotions are pretty close to the ones Carmen might have felt, a long time ago."</p><p>"And by recreating these emotions, you are hoping to change the Light in some way?"</p><p>"That's the idea. It's not an exact science, but... I don't think it needs to be."</p><p>"I see." Binah nodded, sipping her tea. "The idea isn't without merit."</p><p>"Thanks... I guess."</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want to go with Roland's idea and start a Wing instead?"</p><p>"Well that's disconcerting," Roland said. "Ms. Binah cracked a joke."</p><p>"Perhaps the alcohol is getting through to me. Regardless, your idea is worth examining."</p><p>"It is?"</p><p>Binah let out a small laugh, which unnerved Roland even further. "Amusing that you should name your Wing N Corp. Do you remember the previous Wing that once held the same name? Their singularity was one that had the power to preserve the original. Rather, they could turn objects and even ideas into one singular, unique thing. Once they finished the process, counterfeits would become impossible to create. Even if the creator wished to to make a copy, they would not be able to. It was an incredible technology, one that enabled N Corp's Nest to become the City's cultural haven." </p><p>"Huh. I vaguely remember something like that."</p><p>"That N Corp was well before our own time, its feathers moulted and replaced with a Wing that better suited the needs of the City. Why do you think it is that none of us here could remember much about it?"</p><p>"The City doesn't care much for history. Go past a few decades and you'll find scraps of info that might as well be myth."</p><p>"Worldly wisdom from our dear Fixer. Yes, part of it is because of that, much to the chagrin of our Patron Historian. Clipped Wings are forgotten with enough time, and soon enough Lobotomy Corporation will be nothing more than a faint memory as well."</p><p>"I'm guessing what really caused its downfall had to do with its Singularity," Netzach said. "I've heard of the works in N's Nest before, and we even have a couple books of the artists themselves..."</p><p>"But the books do not contain their works of art, correct?"</p><p>"It's mentioned in vague terms, but that's it. It's like they never even made them to begin with."</p><p>"Indeed. N Corp's Singularity was so exacting that even ownership of a piece of art was removed from the creator. Memories of the effort put into the piece would be removed methodically from the creator's mind, until all they had left was the vague idea of having made something. It was all for the sake of preserving the original."</p><p>"That sounds like you'd be losing a lot more than you would gain. What's the point of going through that process?" The stuffy atmosphere ruined Roland's mood, and he stopped drinking altogether. "Not that I'd ever understand artists." </p><p>"Preserving the original, and making it a singular, unique object, meant that that piece of art would rise up in value tremendously. To the eyes of the Nest's elite, a work of art could only be called a masterpiece if it was truly, wholly unique. To an artist, selling their work to N Corp was a guaranteed path to wealth, if not success in the strictest sense.</p><p>"Ownership of art would then be transferred to the elite of the Nest in auctions, creating a thriving market dedicated to the exchange of art. It was these elite who truly dictated the culture of the Nest."</p><p>"Hold on," Roland said. "Something about this story doesn't add up."</p><p>"Oh? You caught on quite quickly."</p><p>"Picking out the contents of the mind and locking it out sounds a lot like J Corp's Singularity, and they've been around longer than the last N Corp. They must have loaned their tech as part of a deal. I'm guessing the twist to the story was that their actual Singularity was something completely different."</p><p>Binah laughed. "Perhaps I was being too obvious? But yes, their Singularity is indeed something else entirely. Care to guess what it was?"</p><p>"Deals between Wings," Netzach interjected, after a while of quietly listening. "Are usually ones that are only made out of necessity. R Corp gave its military services in exchange for the energy Lobotomy Corporation produced. So I'm guessing... N Corp and J Corp had the same thing going on."</p><p>"Your guess is correct. N Corp's true Singularity was energy production: one that stemmed from the concept of value. Value itself became energy. They would imbibe artistic objects with the essence of their Singularity, its energy production skyrocketing as the value of the object rose.</p><p>"To manufacture value, they struck a deal with J Corp to gain usage of their technology. Minds were manipulated; artists locked out of creating anything other than something completely, utterly unique. For a while, this system of production worked flawlessly."</p><p>"For a while... you already told us how it ends, I guess."</p><p>"You should teach me how to become a better storyteller next time, Netzach. But yes, N Corp failed to consider the toll the system had on the artists. Being forced to forget the process of making a work of art meant that they could not develop a repertoire. Every act of creation became an exercise of creating something for the first time, every time. This turned their later works into nothing more than juvenile scrawls. This had its own kind of value, but it was not the kind that produced the energy that N Corp needed.</p><p>"They later had to resort to manipulating the minds of the buyers as well—make them believe that these new pieces of art were as valuable as the ones before them. This worked for a time, though overuse of J Corp's Singularity consumed their energy deposits even further. Without the energy, the deal between the two wings ended, even resulting in minor war that put District 14 in a state of chaos. The Head took notice of this tragic state of affairs and sent a certain Arbiter to deal with it, and soon the N Corp and its monopoly on culture was no more."</p><p>"It isn't as violent a story as the average Wing takeover, at least." Roland yawned. "Still, what was the point of telling us this?"</p><p>"I simply wanted to impart to our Patron Librarian here an aspect of art he failed to consider, even in his Realizations. Art is expression, it is a reflection of reality; but it does not exist by its own merit. Its reason for being is entirely separate from its purpose, dictated by the whims of those who simply observe the art."</p><p>"You're saying that I should just give up on trying to change the City through our work?"</p><p>"I am saying that you should consider the circumstances in which art arises, and the forces that drive its creation." Binah laughed yet again. "I am sounding like the Patron of Social Sciences, aren't I? You were right, dear Fixer."</p><p>"It's not as if I haven't considered that... It's just that there isn't much else I could do in this Library."</p><p>"Perhaps once our Director reaches her goal, you can do more with this knowledge. Well then, if you'll excuse me, I must be going now."</p><p>"...to where?" Roland asked, doubtful that she had much else going on, though relieved that she was taking her leave.</p><p>"To the Floor of Language, of course. The Red Mist and I have... a lot of catching up to do."</p><p>"..."</p><p>Once she left the Floor of Art, Netzach heaved a sigh of relief. "Well... you were right about her. That was our first conversation and she literally picked the heaviest topic to spring on me. I was paralyzed, man."</p><p>"I'm not saying you'll get used to it, but..." Roland opened a beer can and offered it to Netzach. "That's that, and this is this. You kinda have to work with her from now on."</p><p>Netzach shook his head. "I don't feel like drinking anymore..."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>APPENDIX</p><p>The Drinking Calendar<br/>ZAYIN-Class Abnormality</p><p>A hastily written series of notes by a pathetic man, detailing the exact times of the day when his boss was too occupied to notice him, allowing him to drink during work hours.</p><p>N Corp</p><p>The previous Wing that existed before the current N Corp. Its Nest was said to have been a haven of culture and art entirely unique from the rest of the Districts. Upward mobility between the Backstreets and the Nest was easier if you were an artist of enough talent, though the measure of "talent" was entirely up to the whims of the Nest.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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